Device for the rapid laying and automatic tightening of floors.



No. 802,622. PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905. A. VAN DEN BULGKE.

DEVICE FOR THE RAPID LAYING AND AUTOMATIC TIGHTENING OP FLOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1905.

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No. 802,622. PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905. A. VAN DEN BULGKE.

DEVICE FOR THE RAPID LAYING AND'AUTOMATIO TIGHTENING 0F FLOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.5, 1905.

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No. 802,622. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. A. VAN DEN BULGKE.

DEVICE FOR THE RAPID LAYING AND AUTOMATIC TIGHTENING 0F FLOOR8nAPPLICATION rILnn 313.5, 1905.

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No. 802,622. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. A. VAN DEN BULGKE.

DEVICE FOR THE RAPID LAYING AND AUTOMATIC TIGHTENING 0P FLOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.'5, 1905.

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nNrrnD STATES PATENT cl rion.

ADOLPH E van DEN BULcKE, or LILLE, FRANCE.

DEVICE FOR THE RAPID LAYING AND AUTOMATIC TIGHTENING OF FLOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed January 5, 1905. Serial No. 239,809.

To all whom it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLPHn VAN DEN BULOKE, a citizen of the FrenchRepublic, and a resident of Lille, France, have invented a certain newand useful Device for the Rapid Laying and Automatic Tightening ofFloorsand the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an arrangement which permits of therapid laying and automatic tightening of boarded floors, inlaid floors,or wood paneling and paving on metallie or other foundations.

The arrangement constituting the present invention has for its object,first, the rapid laying of boarded floors, inlaid floors, or woodpaneling or paving on metallic foundations by means of springfish-plates; second, the automatic tightening or loosening as theyexpand or contract of the different parts of which the flooring iscomposed. These two objects are obtained by means of a combination ofspecial fish-plates and tightening-springs hereinafter described.

In the annexed drawings, given as an example, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of one of the fish-plates. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3represents the arrangement of a tightening-spring. Fig. 4: is a planView of a portion of a boarded floor, showing diagrammatically in dottedlines the beams or girders C therefor. Fig. 5 shows in detail an angleof the boarded floor seen from below. Fig. 6 is a section on the line KL of Fig. 5. 7 is a plan view of a portion of an inlaid floor, the beamsor girders 0 being represented by transverse lines. Fig. 8 shows indetail an angle of the inlaid floors seen from below. Fig. 9 is across-section in detail on the line M N of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is alongitudinal section on the line 0 P of Fig. 8.

1. Fis/t-platcs.-The fish-plates are pieces of wood destined to hold theboards or wood panels, 860., of which boarded or inlaid floors arecomposed on the flanges of the iron beams U of the framework or bed insuch a way as to prevent their rising up, while at the same timeallowing of their movement eventually in the direction of the horizontalplane.

The plates A, Fig. 1, an example of which is given in the annexeddrawings as a specimen only, can be of various forms and strengths,according to the application and form of the profiles of the ironframework or bed. They are attached underneath the boardpieces in caseof need.

ed or inlaid floor by means of a screw B or by any other contrivanee inordinary use.

2. TgMailing-springs E. --The tighteningsprings E (shown on the axis inaction and relaxed in Fig. consist of some kind. of springs calculatedin each case for the desired pressure. These springs-are maintained in aspecial device, which permits of their being compressed or relaxed, asthe case may be. The arrangement consists, as shown in Fig. 3, of asimple square D or a double square D, called a blocl -square,fixed and aplate G, guided or otherwise, which can be brought nearer to or drawnfarther away from the square at will by means of a screw F or by anyother means.

Application of the systcm.-By way of example, in order to show clearlythe working of the system an applicationto boardcdflooring or to aninlaidv floor may be shown as follows:

1. Application to a boarded floor. This application is shown in Figs. 4,5, and 6. As

shown in Figs. 4C and 5, the flooring to be laid down is ordinaryflooring. It consists of thin boards H H, &c., to be laid down on theiron girders O, and the tightening is effected in atransversaldirection.The block-squares D are placed at the ends of the iron girders C at thepoint where they are let in to the masonry and firmly lixed on thegirders. The spring E is next placed in position and jammed up tight bymeans of the plate (:lr and the screw F. The laying of the flooring canthen be proceeded with, the boards being previously provided withfish-plates A, suitably arranged. To facilitate the laying, thefish-plates should be placed parallel to the girders C, so that a boardput into place and a quarter-turn given to the fish-plates the side all,by which it is held, should dovetail into the upper flange or part ofthe girder G, thus fixing the board. The same method should be adoptedwith the other boards until aboard H or key is placed in position. Thesame operation can be repeated in starting from the opposite wall. Thenafter a n'eliminary tightening of the other boards the board H can bedropped into its place. This latter being maintained in the grooves ofthe adjacent boards will not carry fish-plates, which will allow of thefloor being easily taken to This being done, the

only thing left to do is to proceed to the tightening up of the boards,which is accom- 2. Application to cm inlaz'dfiomu-This ap-- plication isrepresented in Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10. In the case of a wood-paneledfloor the tightening should be made in the longitudinal and transversedirection. To further allow of this tightening, the squares D should befixed to the girder C alongside the Walls and their distance apartmaintained by tie-rods R, as shown in detail in Fig. 10. The springs Epreviously placed in position and tightly compressed, as indicated inthe case of the boarded floor, the laying of the panels can then heproceeded with. The panels I, pla'ced alongside the transverse walls,where they are kept in position by a plinth alone, will not havefish-plates. The second row will then be placed and each panel J held upby asingle fish-plate A, as shown in Fig. 8. The panels being firmlyheld together among themselves tongued and grooved, the fish-plates willhold at the same time the four angles of the panels and will prevent anyupheaval. The other rows will then be placed in the same way. The panelsthus placed, the springs E will be relaxed, as in the case of theboarded floor, in order to obtain the permanent tightening in the twodirections, allowing of the expansion and contraction of the componentparts with a view to obtaining a perfect fastening without thepossibility of coming undone. The paving on flap-stones is placed in thesame manner; but the joints are filled up with putty before tightening.Y

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

An arrangement allowing of the rapid laying of boarded floors, inlaidfloors, panels &c., on metal beds or framework and the tightening andrelaxing of the same automatically according to the expansion orcontraction of the various component parts of the boarded floors, inlaidfloors &c. comprising the combination of fish-plates destined to holdthe boards or panels, of which the floors are composed, on the flangesof the iron girders of the framework or bed in such a way as to preventtheir upheaval while at the same time permitting of their movement inthe horizontal plane, and of tightening-springs inserted each onebetween a fixed square and a plate that can be brought nearer to ordrawn farther away from the square at will by means of a screw whichallows of these springs being compressed or relaxed as the case may be.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

ADOLPHE VAN DEN BULCKE.

WVitnesses:

VAN GREVELYNGHE, J. H. EMANTZ,

